thrown his weight upon it, makes it the fixed point upon which all the rest depend, and by which all of them are regulated, as in the fore extremity. The tendon of the perforans is inserted into the coffin-bone, having passed down from K, over the back of the joints at I and J, and is connected with the back of the leg by a ligament j, as in the fore extremity; so that, by the inclination of the fetlock backwards, the whole weight seems to rest upon this tendon. But, besides this, there is another muscle which arises from L, passes over the point M, and runs down to be inserted into the back part of the coronary bone at N. This muscle, being peculiarly intermixed in its substance with a large proportion of tendinous fibre, seems to act more as a ligament than as a muscle, and is extremely analogous, in structure and properties, to what is called the suspensory ligament, which powerfully aids and supports the fetlock joints in all the extremities. But as the weight thus thrown backward would at once produce flexion of the stifle joint at H, it is also necessary to have some means of fixing the fore part of the limb; and, accordingly, we find that there is a tendon or ligament (for it may be considered as either the one or the other, as it acts as both), which rises from the outer anterior condyle of the femur at D, and, running down to P, becomes inserted there. By this means, when the lower part is fixed, the stifle or knee is also held in a fixed state.

By the arrangement, then, of these parts, we see that, as the different joints of the limbs are acted on, and fixed in a state of rest, by tendons and ligaments, and as both ligaments and tendons possess but a small share of sensibility, and are consequently but little susceptible of fatigue, we are enabled to explain how a horse is capable of supporting himself, both asleep and awake, with a less degree of exertion or fatigue to himself than is the case with most other animals. From this arrangement of parts, too, it will also appear that the horse is enabled to stand independent of the peculiarity Dr Graves points out. And, as the peculiarity alluded to exists in the joints of animals which have not the power of sleeping standing, I think I am warranted in concluding that this peculiarity which exists in the joints. is intended rather to facilitate motion than for retaining the parts in a state of rest.

ON THE TURNIP SLICER.

THE turnip is chiefly used as food for cattle and sheep; but it is also sometimes given to horses. Though it is common to give the turnip to these animals in an entire state, it is found to be beneficial also to give it in other states.

When turnips are given to horses, they are frequently boiled or steamed; but when given in a raw state, they should be cut into slices. Various instruments have been constructed for the purpose of slicing turnips. One, consisting of a hopper and flywheel set upon a frame, is the most expeditious in its operation. The area of the wheel is covered with wood; and there are two cutting knives, each nearly the length between the rim and the centre, placed in it at equal distances from each other, that is, one on each side of the centre, straight in a line dividing the circle into two semicircles. The hopper is placed up in such a position, as that the turnips put into it shall always at its under side press against the side of the wheel. This under mouth of the hopper is made of the same breadth as the length of the cutting knives, that is, somewhat less than the radius of the wheel. The wheel is made to revolve, so as that the knives shall cut when passing down by the under mouth of the hopper. At the face of each cutting knife there is a space left, by which the slice cut off falls down at the opposite side of the wheel to that at which the hopper is attached; and by every revolution of the fly-wheel, each of the knives passes the hopper, and cuts a slice off all the turnips which are at the time pressing against the wheel.

This mode of slicing turnips, however, is not a good one either for sheep or cattle. The large thin slices are with great difficulty taken into the mouth of cattle, by which the animal, in making the attempt, presses them amongst the clay or sand at the bottom of the stall or on the ground, and thus besmears them with mud before they can be taken into the mouth. The best, as well as the most expeditious, instrument for cutting turnips for cattle, is that called a Turnip-chopper. It consists of a handle, and a head of the following construction. In the centre of a hoe of an oblong form, similar to that used by gardeners, and

placed at right angles to it, is another hoe.

These two thus joined, are in fact only one instrument, in the form of a cross; and when the centre of this instrument is made to pass through the centre of a turnip, the latter will be divided into four equal parts. On the reverse side of the head is generally placed a twopronged fork. This fork adds an additional weight to the instrument, by which it does not require so much force in using the chopper, and is besides useful for picking the turnips out of the ground. The chopper by a single operation cuts the turnip into four parts, and this size will in general be found sufficiently small; but where it is not so, the parts can by a similar operation be again subdivided. The process of subdividing turnips in this manner is both a simple and an expeditious one. This angular form of the turnip, too, is found best for being easily taken into the mouth of cattle.

For sheep, turnips cut into slices are beneficial, and, in certain cases, absolutely necessary. Young sheep, when changing their teeth, or old ones which have lost them, cannot eat turnips in a manner at all advantageous to themselves, unless they are cut into a form which can be readily taken into the animal's mouth. When cut into slices of the size which is done by the fly-wheel turnip-slicer, they are often large in diameter, and it requires too great an effort of the animal to eat them in that state. The best kind of turnip-slicer, therefore, is such a one as shall cut the turnips into forms which can be readily taken into the mouth of the animal. The instrument just to be described, accomplishes this purpose in a very satisfactory manner. By it the turnips are cut into a form of about 1 inch broad, inch thick, and of the length of the diameter of the turnip. found to be a very convenient size for being taken into the mouth of the animal; and we have often been amused to see the adroitness with which a toothless sheep would manage a piece of turnip of this form. After having taken one of the ends into its mouth, it would hold the piece between its gums, and, placing the other end upon the ground, break it through by the outside of its mouth; or, should it happen to break off at a little distance from the mouth, the sheep would perform a second operation of breaking it at the place required; and when it got the piece into this form, it soon afterwards made a choice bite of it.

This is

Though this instrument is not such an expeditious one as the fly-wheel slicer, it answers the purpose required much better; besides, few farmers could complain of it on account of its inefficiency. A female, where such is employed in field labour, or a boy, can, in a day, with this instrument, cut turnips into the dimensions stated above, sufficient for eleven score of sheep for twenty-four hours.

This turnip slicer was invented by Mr Martin of Clifton, in Nottinghamshire. But the one from which the following figure and description have been taken, was in the possession of Mr Morton, agricultural instrument-maker, Edinburgh; and it will be found to be considerably improved, in many of its parts, from Mr Martin's.

This instrument, as will be seen in the above figure, consists of a trough or hopper, supported by four standards. The trough is 18 inches broad without, from A to B; and, at the cutter, from C to D, it is 13 inches broad. The hopper is 3 inches deep in the inside; and the whole is made of inch timber. The hind standards E and F are 2 feet 10 inches long. The two fore standards G and H, are fixed to, and rest upon, the

VOL. III. NO. XIII.

I

K

axle of the wheels below G and above 'H. The diameter of each of these two wheels is 9 inches, and their breadth 1 inch at the hem. The height of the hopper is the same before as behind, namely, 2 feet 10 inches; that is, the radius of the wheel is 44 inches, and the fore upright posts, which are 2 feet 6 inches long, project half an inch below the axle, making in all 2 feet 10 inches. The fore and also the hind upright standards are connected respectively to each other by a cross rail, and they are connected laterally by a rail 24th inches deep, by 14 inch in horizontal breadth, which runs out 1 foot 4 inches behind the upright posts E and F, on each side, forming the handles I and K. The use of these handles and wheels, is for the purpose of transporting the instrument from one part of a field to another, as may be required.

Immediately above the two fore upright posts is the cutting apparatus. This consists of the frame for receiving the cuttingframe, which is 1 foot 4 inches above the upper side of the bottom of the hopper, and 10 inches broad without. The upright posts of this frame LM, which have grooves to receive the cutting-frame, are 1 inch by inch, with a small rod connecting them at the top The cutting-frame, the rods of which pass through the bottom of the hopper, and are placed in the connecting rod, as seen at a, is 1 foot 6 inches long, and 9 inches in breadth, and its two upright posts are each inch square. The plate or cross knife b, is of an inch thick, and sharpened on the under side. There are seven upright rods, running from a to the plate b, each inch thick, in the body, by ğ inch broad. At the top these upright rods are turned at right angles, and joined to the plate or cutting-knife b, a little above the cutting face of the knife. This part of each rod, which is at right angles with the upright rods, and joined to the cutting-knife, is 1 inch long or deep, by inch thick, and sharpened on the under side. The length which this part turns in at right angles, that is, the distance between the cutting-knife and these upright rods, is inch; and these rods are set nearly 14 inch apart. The dimensions of each part of the turnip cut by this instrument, therefore, will be, as already stated, about 1 inch broad, by inch thick, and of a length corresponding to the diameter of the turnip.